Improved corn-husker



3 Sh t l I l MEARSl ee sI Sheet l Corn Husker.

NO.- 20,653. Patented June 22, 185,8.v

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Corn Husker. l

No. 20.653. Patented lune 22, 1858.

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Crn Husker.

Patented June 22, 1858.

N. PETERS. Phmmumugmpnnr, wnsmngmn. D. ,l

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.,

LEMUEL R. HEARS, OF SOUTH ABINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVED CORN-HUSKER.

To etZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEMUEL R. MEARS, of South Abington, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful or Improved Corn-I-Iusker; and I do hereby declare that the same is fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l denotes a top view, Fig. 2 aside elevation, and Fig. 3 a longitudinal section, of it.

Y This article is to' be used in the field and accomplishes at one and the same time the separation of the ear of corn from the stalk and the husk. Thus instead of iirst cutting from the stalk the ear with the husk on it and afterward subjecting the same to the action of another` machine or one for removing the husk, I, by means of my improved machine or corn-husker, can perform both operations at one and the same time, thus saving` much labor, as will readily be observed.

In the drawings, A denotes the support-ingbar of the machine. It is a longand straight bar, so jointed at its lower end to a breast plate or shield B as to be capable of being moved in any direction, while the said shield may be fastened to the breast of a person. By means of shoulder and waiststraps a b and d e extending from the shield in any proper manner, so as to be carried around one or both shoulders or the waist of an individual, this breast-shield or bearer B may be fastened in place against his breast. A slider C, having a handle c projecting downward from it, slides freely on the bar A and carries a cutter or knife D, which is made to project in opposite directions from the said slider and the supporting-bar and should have its cutting-edge constructed of a serpentine form, as shown atffin Fig. l. This cutter operates in connection witha bearer or stalksupporter E, which is affixed-to the bar A, and projects in opposite directions therefrom and is formed with a cavity or passage g sufciently large to receive the entire cuttingedge of the knife when it is drawn downward within it, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. l. Furthermore, the bar A has two ears 7L 7l extending from it in the positions and in manner as shown in the drawings, such ears being to support a rod 7c, ar-

ranged parallel to the bar and eXtendin g from one to the other of the said ears and through another ear m, projecting from the slider C. This rod It' is enveloped by a helical spring Z, one end of which rests on the lowermost ear of the bar A, while the other end bears against the ear m; The duty of this spring is to elevate the cutter after it has been drawn downward by force applied to the handle c.

Vith this instrument or corn-husker, having its shield B strapped to his breast, aperson enters a field of corn, and While directing the instrument by its handle held in one hand he moves it up to an ear of corn, the upper end of the husk of which he seizes by the other hand, and introducing the husk and ear between the cutter I) and the bearer E in such manner that when the cutter may be drawn toward the bearer the former may enter the husk and ear just labove the junction of the husks with the cob, and by being drawn in the bearer be caused to separate the ear from the stalk as well as from the husk. This having been done, the ear of corn may be easily discharged from or thrown out of the husk and into a basket. The extension of the knife and its bearers in opposite directions from the supporting-bar and the slider enables a person to operate With greater facility either to the right or left Withoutthe necessity of introducing the instrument between the ear and the main stock from which it may project.

I claim- 1. An improved corn-husker as made of a combination of a breast-shield, a supportingbar, and cutting apparatus, the breast-shield to be applied to a person and the cutting apparatus and supporting-bar to be operated in manner as specified.

2. The arrangement of 4the cutters and bearer-viz., so as to extend in opposite directions from 'the supporting-bar and the slider, in manner and for the purpose as hereinbefore explained.

In testimony whereofI have hereunto set my signature.

LEMUEIL R. MEARS.

Witnesses:

CYRUs A. DYER, GEORGE H. PEARsoN. 

